The new and intriguing Edinburgh hotel restaurant with perfect Princes Street views
This destination has just had a complete revamp
There are around 20 hotels opening in Edinburgh this year.
The tourist trade is booming, and no tax is going to put them off flooding to Auld Reekie.
However, some established places are raising their game, to make sure they’re still performing well in an increasingly heated market. One of those is the four-star Mount Royal Hotel Edinburgh at a prime spot on Princes Street. After a spell as a Mercure hotel, since late 2024 it’s been owned by The Unlimited Collection, who have other places in Asia and Europe.
It’s part of a modernist building that dates from 1966. However, the footprint is older, as the address has housed various inns since the mid 19th century.
I’ve passed by its spot loads of times, as it’s sandwiched between Marks & Spencer and the five-years-shut Jenners, but I’ve never ventured in.
Recently, there’s been a placard outside, advertising the new restaurant, Eidyn. That’s reason enough for me to belatedly cross their threshold.
Inside, and there’s a curved staircase up to the thickly carpeted reception, where golf umbrellas are for hire at £3 each, then you’re through to the dining room. Somewhere below our feet, is the womenswear department of Markies.
This refreshed space formerly had the clunky name of The Writers Distillery Restaurant. I think that Eidyn - the ancient Brittonic name for this area - is much more catchy.
I suppose that Sixties architecture wasn’t all bad, as this huge room couldn’t have better tour-bus-height views. To the left, you’ll see the Scott Monument and, on your right, we have the National Galleries of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle.
At this time of year, the view also frames lush-looking trees, and it’s nice to see that Princes Street Gardens has recovered from the Christmas market shenanigans.
The newly-designed space is open plan, and is bookended by the U Bar and an events room.
When I visit, it’s breakfast time, and the Continental buffet is still laid out. The diners are loading their plates in preparation for exploring the city in intrepid-looking hiking gear and fanny packs. For now, they’re enjoying the loose literary theme and the calming new decor.
The palette is a salmon pink, green and tablet brown, with parquet floors, and there are open shelves to divide the space. They’re decorated with Victoriana objets, like opera glasses and bell jars, and photographs of authors including Sir Walter Scott, Mary Fairfax Somerville and a reproduction of a painting of writer Elizabeth Hamilton by Sir Henry Raeburn.
According to the hotel general manager, James Fraser, the look was black and gold before, and was in need of a refresh.
He’s very diplomatic when it comes to discussing the competition with other Edinburgh hotels. No fighting talk.
“I think it’s absolutely fabulous that so many are opening. It proves that this is a world-class destination. We welcome that, but you do have to move on, and you do have to invest, and we're certainly doing that, and have done that for the last couple of years, having refurbished all the bedrooms and the public areas as well,” he says. “We've been very mindful to make sure that we're bringing in the local suppliers, which is really important to us, and also just identifying who is actually coming to Edinburgh.”
Fraser says that recent guests have visited from countries including Iceland. However, they want the restaurant to also appeal to those closer to home.
“We want to make sure we cater for the local people, because we talk about tourism and people coming in, but we don't want to forget that the local community is so important to us and they’ve been great supporters of this hotel for a number of years now,“ he says.
They’re hoping that the new menu and drinks lists will attract lapsed guests and satisfy regulars.
They’ve retained the same head chef for about 20 years, and she’s rejuvenated the offerings with themed dishes including The Monument Burger, with Arran cheddar, beef brisket and other trimmings, and a lamb duo that comes with a mini shepherd’s pie.
For starters, among other things, there’s a smoked haddock Scotch egg, and calamari with aioli and Blackthorn Sea Salt.
“We focus on provenance, with Scottish classics that have an elevated twist. We want the menu to be for everyone, but taking those hearty kinds of familiar dishes and elevating them, so we'll use dry-aged grass fed Scotch beef, for example, from John Gilmour Butchers,” says Scott Goldie, the hotel’s food and beverage specialist. “When it comes to the bar and the drinks, we've got a partnership with Stewart Brewing, they provide our ale, which goes into the fish and chips and calamari batter. We also have the Vault City Brewing Company.”
The cocktails sound a bit different.
According to Goldie, there’s one that’s garnished with venison salami. I might give that a miss, but I’m intrigued by the Lord of the Isles, which features champagne as well as Isle of Barra Hebridean Vodka. There are other plans afoot.
They will also be offering an afternoon tea menu of cakes, including Princes Street shortbread and raspberry and pistachio cakes, and their ice-cream comes from Arran Dairies.
For Desperate Dans, there will also be a Say Aye to the Pie event daily, where sweet and savoury pies are paired with drinks, and Amber Hour will start each day at 6:30pm, with gratis haggis and whisky-flavoured popcorn alongside seasonal drinks.
It’s a cool space, and I hope they attract custom in the city’s tourist maelstrom.
As Fraser says, as I leave; “Haste ye back.”
Indeed I will. They won me over with the pies.
Eidyn at the Mount Royal Hotel Edinburgh by The Unlimited Collection (52 Princes Street, Edinburgh), www.discoverasr.com
Read more: “Inside the five-star luxury St Andrews hotel that's unveiled refined and stylish new look”
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